Inward Melody

"Whatever is outward in worship must come as a direct result of what is inward--otherwise, it will be form without power."

Howard Brinton

  

The beauty of peonies. I enjoyed a lovely peony patch in MD. Now there's one not far from home and I had the pleasure of snapping a few pictures.

I write a lot about music and singing. It occurred to me that some of you might think I'm a great singer, with a sweet melody and carries a tune beautifully. Well, it ain't quite like that.

I was good enough to sing in the choir at my home church. I had a strong voice and could carry the tune. But all that changed during a difficult and stressful period in my life. I started having muscle spasms in my throat.

They were painful, lasting from 30 minutes to an hour or more. Right before the Christmas Cantata at my church I had another spasm. It lasted two hours and when it was over I couldn't sing. I had my throat checked out and was told all looked good. But I couldn't sing.

I didn't sing in that Christmas Cantata or any other time the choir sang. One time Jerry and I went to Intercourse, PA for our anniversary, and they were having Christmas carolers and other displays for the season. We stood outside listening and I shed a few tears. "Why can't I sing anymore?"

Jerry told me I may not be able to sing anymore, but God has given me words. From that time on I've used words to express my thoughts and feelings. 

I recently read a devotion in 365 Devotions for a Thankful Heart titled "The Music of Gratitude." Let me share some of the words for you.

"All of us can thank God for the gift of music, but not all of us are especially musical! Karen, for instance, was not a musician, a worship leader, or a Sunday school teacher . . . Neither did Karen go around humming or whistling.

"But Karen did make melody inwardly to the Lord, and people recognized it. Karen had an amazing way of making everyone feel like her best friend. When she said hello, people sensed her joy at seeing them and her thankfulness for their place in her life. Encountering Karen was like hearing a favorite song that plays all day long. The contagious music in Karen's heart made people smile long after the saw her."

 

I like that. That's something we can all reach for in our Christian walk. God gave us each a voice to use for Him. A spirit of gratitude leads us to thank God, and the Spirit lightens our hearts.

"Goodness consists not in the outward things we do, but in the inward thing we are."

Edwin Hubbel Chapin, 1814-1880

Most of the time I just mouth the words when everyone sings, just loud enough for me to hear. It brings me as much joy as if I was singing as loud as ever! 

So if you're not happy with your voice, or can't carry a tune, remember this little story. Your inward melody can be joyful and bring great joy to others. So sing, friend! Let gratitude form lyrics in your heart, and share the joy!

This is a snap from MD. I love the water drops beneath the leaf. One of my favorites!

"The joy of the heart colors the face."

Unknown